Apparatus for automatically and alternately charging and discharging filter-beds for sewage.



PATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

W. A. MOORE. APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY AND ALTERNATELY CHARGING AND DISGHARGING FILTER BEDS FOR SEWAGE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1 05.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 790,520 PATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

W. A. MOORE. APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY AND ALTERNATELY CHARGING AND DI'SGHARGING FILTER BEDS FOR SEWAGE.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

l I I i l 44 I A l 1 4 1 I k/fld/M":

- UNITED STATES WILLIAM ALEXANDER MOORE, OF JOHANNES BURG, TRANSVAAL.

Patented May 23, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY AND ALTERNATELY CHARGING AND DISCHARGING FILTER-BEDS FOR SEWAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,520, dated May 23, 1905.

' Ap licatid filed February 14, 1905. Serial No. 245,619.

tion for patent in the Transvaal, No. 373,

filed September 21, 1904,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus appli cable for flushing urinals or water-closets,

for flushing or cleansing drains or sewers, for alternately charglng' and dlschargmg filterbeds or treatment-tanks for sewage and the like, or for other analogous purposes. It is designed with the object of providing appa ratus which will operate automatically and so dispense with the necessity for hand-labor or skilled attention.

The apparatus operates irrespective of the quantity or volume of liquid passing into the tank or filter-bed.

I will at once proceed to describe my invention in detail by aid of the accompanying two sheets of illustrative drawings, in which, by way of example, I illustrate the invention applied to a flushing apparatus.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents the apparatus in plan. Flg. 2 represents it in sectional elevation, the plane of section being indicated by the dotted line w as, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 represents a portion of the apparatus drawn to an enlarged scale in side sectional elevation, the plane of section being indicated by the dotted line 1 y, Fig. 1.

In the drawings, 1 and 2 designate two tanks, cisterns, or vessels, which serve as the containers for the water or other liquid. These tanks 1 2 may be as required or found necessary for the particular purpose forwhich the apparatus is employed, located in close proximity to each other, as shown, or be separated by any desired distance.

The tanks 1 2 are represented of rectangular shape and with an angle-iron frame 3,

spindle 8.

fixed round the upper edges for strengthening the same.

Arranged across the top of the two tanks 1 2 are two parallel angle-irons 4 5, riveted or otherwise fixed to the angle-irons 3. To the angle-irons 3 and at opposite sides of the two tanks 1 2 are bolted standards or supports 6 7 The standards or supports 6 7 at their" upper ends are constructed to form bearings for a horizontally-arranged shaft or On one end of the spindle 8-, inside the standard 7, is fixed a collar 9, which serves to prevent any longitudinal move ment in one direction of the shaft or spindle 8,. On the other end of the s I indle 8, next the standard 6, is fixed anot er collar 10, formed with two radial arms 11 12. To the radial arms 11 12 is riveted, bolted, or otherwise fixed a diverter or tray 13, which is open at the ends and constructed with vertical sides 14. This diverter 13 operates to divert the incoming stream of water or other liquid alternately into the tanks 1 2 in a manner that will be hereinafter described: An inletpipe 15, along which the water or other liquid is led, is arranged to discharge over the center of the diverter or tray 13.

' On the shaft or spindle 8 is loosely mounted a rocking frame comprising the two levers 16 17, which are connected by the two transverse stiffening-bars 18 19 to form a rigid frame.

The rocking frame is kept in correct.

position on the shaft or spindle 8 by means of collars 20 21, fixed on the shaft 8 at either side of the frame.

On the shaftor spindle 8, inside the rocking frame or between the levers 16 17 is loosely mounted a lever 22. On this lever 22 is fixed an adjustable weight 23. This lever 22 is held in position on the one side by means'of a collar 24. On the shaft or spindle 8 at the other side of the lever 22 is keyed or otherwise securely fixed a lever 25, which latter at its lower end is constructed with two arms or branches 26 27. The weight-lever 22 is also constructed with two arms 28 29, which alternately come into contact with the transverse bars 18 19'and are operated by the rocking frame or levers 16 17. The outer ends of the arms 28 29 of the weight-lever 22 are turned at right angles, so that they will alternately engage the arm or lever to move it, and with it the shaft or spindle 8, to alternately incline the diverter 13 to deliver the water or other liquid alternately into the tanks 1 2.

In each of the tanks 1 2 is arranged a siphon, which comprises the outlet or discharge pipe 30. This latter is formed with a flange 31 and fixed by the bolts 32 in a recess or well 33, formed in the bottom of the tank.

34 represents a packing-ring, of leather, rubber, or other suitable flexible material, and 35 is an outlet-pipe fixed to the bottom of the tank beneath the aperture 36, along which the water or other liquid may be led to any desired point. The construction of the tanks 1 2 with the recesses or wells 33 to receive the lower ends of the discharge-pipes 30 allows of the tanks 1 2 being more com pletely discharged by the operation of the siphon. To the upper end of the dischargepipe 30 is screwed or otherwise fixed a ring or cylindrical piece 37.

Arranged round the discharge pipe 30 are two concentric pipes or hollow cylinders 38 39, and to theupper end of the outer concentric pipe 38 is fixed a cover 40, forming a hood for the concentric pipes 38 39 and discharge-pipe 30. The inner concentric pipe 39, which is made a good sliding fit over the ring or cylindrical piece 37, is shown constructed in one piece with the cover 40, with which it is connected by means of radial webs or ribs 41. To the covers 40 are fixed eyepieces 42.

Between the angle-irons 4 5 and above each of the tanks 1 2 is arranged a short spindle 43, on which is mounted a pulley or grooved wheel 44.

The branch 26 of the lever 25 is connected by means of a cord, chain, or rope to the eyepiece 42 on the cover 40 of the siphon apparatus, said cord, chain, or rope 45 running over the pulley 44. In like manner the other branch, 27, of the lever 25 is attached to the eyepiece 42 on the cover 40 of the other siphon apparatus by means of the cord,

chain, or rope 45, which passes over the other pulley 44.

In each of the tanks or vessels 1 2 are arranged floats or airtight vessels 46. As illustrated, these floats 46 are constructed to slide on the outer concentric or siphon pipes 38, which serve as guides for them. These floats 46 are pivotally connected, by means of links or rods 47, to the extremities of the rocking levers 16 17.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: In Fig. 2 of the drawings the diverter 13 is in the position it assumes to direct the water or other liquid into the tank 1. While the diverter 13 is in this position, the contents of the tank 2 are being discharged. The water or other liquid continuing to flow into the. tank 1, the float 46 gradually rises with the water-level, and as it rises it raises the arms of the rocking levers 16 17 above the tank 1 through the medium of the connecting rods or links 47. As these arms of the lovers 16 1 7 are raised the transverse bar 19 engages the arm 29 of the weighted lever 22, so that the weighted lever is gradually raised to a position a little beyond the perpendicular. The weighted lever 22 being then free to fall, it causes the projection on the end of the arm 29 to engage the lever 25, which rotates the spindle 8 part of a revolution and at the same time operates to put the siphon in the tank 2 out of operation by raising the two concentric pipes 38 39 and the cover 40 and to put the other siphon apparatus in to operation by lowering the two concentric pipes 38 39 and cover 40 to discharge the contents of theother tank, 1. The parts are so arranged that when the water-level has risen to the top or slightly below the to a of the inner concentric pipe 39 theweighted lever 22 has been thrown beyond the perpendicular, causing the pro jections on the arms 28 29 to engage and operate the lever 25. The parts of the siphon are also so arranged that the movement of the arm or lever 25 lowers the inner concentric pipe 39 until its upper edge is on a level 5 with the upper edge of the ring or cylindrical piece 37, fixed to the top of the dischargepipe 30. It is shown in this position in the tank 2 in Fi 2. When placed in this position, the vdlume of water or other liquid above the level of the top of the inner coucentric pipe 39 or the top of the ring 37 by flowing up the outer concentric pipe 38 and between the latter and the inner concentric pipe 39 and over the upper edge of the inner concentric pipe 39 down the discharge-pipe 30 exhausts the air from the latter, and so starts the siphon action, which continues until the tank is discharged. The diverter 13 having been at the same time reversed, the water or other liquid is diverted into the tank 2 and the above cycle of operations repeated in this tank. The concentric pipes 38 39 and cover 40 are shown in the positions they assume in relation to the upper end of the discharge-pipe 30 or the ring 37, secured thereon, when the siphon is out of operation, in the tank 1 in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

It will be apparent that the manner of connecting the siphons with the operating arm. or lever 25-that is to say, by providing said. arm or lever 25 with the two branches 26 27, to which the ends of the cords, chains, or ropes 45 are attachedgives the weight 23 less resistance to overcome at the commencenwnt of its fall or when the leverage at which it is operating is the least, due to the fact that it balances the buoyancy of the immersed siphon, and also toward the end of the stroke retards the movement of the weighted lever 22 and brings it to restat the end of its travel without sudden jar or shock.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In apparatus of the nature indicated, in combination, two compartments or tanks which serve to receive the water or other liquid and from which the same is discharged, a siphon arranged in each of said tanks or compartments and floats which rise with the water-level in each of the tanks orcomp artments said floats operating mechanism which alternately operates the siphons in the two tanks or compartments, and means operated by said mechanism for alternately diverting the incoming stream into said tanks or compartments, substantially as described.

2. In apparatus of the nature indicated, in combination, two compartments or tanks, a

siphon and a float arranged in each of said compartments or tanks, a shaft .mounted above the compartments or tanks, a diverter or tray which is operated through the me dium of said shaft to alternately divert the incoming stream into the two compartments or tanks, a weighted lever mounted on the shaft, a rocking frame mounted on the shaft which rocking frame is operated by the floats as they rise with the water-level to move the weighted lever which in turn operates the siphons, to charge and discharge the compart ments or tanks, substantially as described.

- 3. In apparatus of the nature indicated, in combination, two compartments or tanks, a siphon and a float arranged in each of said compartments or tanks, a shaft mounted above the compartments or tanks, a pipe along which the incoming stream is conducted, a diverter operated by the shaft located beneath said inlet-pipe and above the tanks or compartments and adapted to alternately divert the incoming stream into the two compartments or tanks, a rocking frame mounted on said shaft connected at opposite extremities to the floats in each of the two compartments or tanks, a weighted lever mounted on the shaft which lever is moved in opposite directions by the rocking frame when the latter is operated first by one float and then the other, said weighted lever operating mechanism which rotates the shaft to operate the diverter at the same time causes the siphon in' one of the tanks or compartments to be lowered to discharge it and the siphon in the other tank to be raised into which latter tank the incoming stream is diverted, substantially as described.

4. In apparatus of the nature indicated, in combination, two compartments or tanks, a siphon and a float arranged in each of said compartments or tanks, a horizontal shaft arranged above and between the compartments or tanks, a diverter'or tray fixed on said shaft, an inletipe arranged to discharge onto the center 0" said diverter, a rocking frame loosely mounted on the shaft comprising two levers and two transverse stiffeningbars, a weighted lever mounted on the shaft between the two levers of the rocking frame said weighted lever being constructed with two arms or branches the extremities of which are turned at right angles said arms being 'adaptedto beengaged by the transverse bars to raise the weighted lever, links or rods connecting the opposite extremities of the levers of the rocking frame to the floats, a lever fixed on the shaft, said lever being connected with the siphon in each of the two compartments or tanks and adapted to be alternately operated in opposite directions by the arms or branches of the weighted lever so that when the weighted lever isoperated by the float in i with the floats in the two compartments or tanks, a weighted lever loosely mounted on the shaft between the frame, said lever being formed with two arms or branches turned at right angles at their outer extremities, said arms or branches adapted to be engaged by the transverse bars of the rocking frame to alternately move the weighted lever in either direction, a lever fixed to the shaft adjacent to the weighted lever, said lever being formed with two arms or branches and adapted to be engaged and moved in opposite directionsby the extremities of the two arms of theweighted lever, a pulley arranged above each of the tanks and a cord, chain or rope connecting one arm of the lever to one of the siphons and I a cord, chain or rope connecting the other arm of the lever to the other siphon, and a diverter operated by the shaft so that when the float rises in one of the tanks it moves the frame and operates the weighted lever which in turn engages the lever keyed to the shaft and so reverses the diverter, said fixed lever at the same time operating one siphon to discharge the one tank or compartment and closing the siphon in the other tank or compartment into which the incoming stream is diverted, substantially as described.

6. In apparatus of the nature indicated, in

combination, two tanks or compartments, a

ted with a ring or cylindrical piece at the upper end, and two concentric pipes, the outer pipe fitted with a cover forming a hood over the concentric pipes so that the water may pass up the outer pipe between the concentric pipes and over the upper edge of the in ner concentric pipe to the discharge or outlet pipe, a float or air-tight vessel in each of the tanks or compartments encircling the siphon, a pair of standards or supports mounted upon and between the two tanks or compartments, a horizontally-arranged shaft or spindle journaled in said standards or supports, a rocking frame loosely mounted on said shaft or spindle comprising two levers and two transverse stiffening-bars, links pivotally connecting the opposite extremities of the levers to the floats in the two tanks or compartments, a lever loosely mounted on the shaft inside the rocking frame, an adj ustable weight fixed on-said lever said weighted lever being formed with two arms or branches whose extremities are turned at right angles said arms or branches being adapted to be engaged by the transverse bars to move the weighted lever in opposite directions as the rocking frame is alternately moved by the floats in the tanks or compartments, a lever fixed to the shaft adjacent to the weighted lever said fixed lever being formed with two arms or branches at its outer end, said fixed lever being adapted to be engaged by the extremities of the weighted lever to move it in opposite directions, a diverter or tray fixed to the shaft so that when the latter is moved by the fixed lever it operates to divert the incoming stream alternately into the two tanks or compartments, an inlet-pipe for discharging the incoming stream over the center of said diverter, supports above the tanks and a spindle carried by each of said supports, a pulley on each of said spindles, and cords, chains or ropes connecting the extremities of the two arms or branches of the fixed lever with the concentric cylinders and eovers of the two siphons so that when said fixed lever is operated by the weighted lever it puts one siphon into operation and puts the other siphon out of operation, the diverter being simultaneously placed to divert the incoming stream into that tank or compartment in which the siphon is put out of operation, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WlhhlAlll ALEXANDER, MOORE.

Witnesses:

CnAs. OVENDALE, R. OVENDALE. 

